Spring-frame for automobiles.



No. 663,703. 7 Patented Dec. ll, I900.

F. R. PARKER.

SPRING FRAME FDR AUTOMOBILES.

(Application filed Mar. 28, 1900.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Witn esses Inventor %i I% W/VW No. 663,703. Patented Dec. n, I900. F. a. PARKER.

SPRING FRAME FOR AUTOMOBILES.

(Application filed hiar. 28, 1900.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets$heat 2.

I Inventor (I j- M f. 7 3444% 7 Attorney Witnesses 1m: uonms PETERS cn.. PnoTouTHo" WASHINGTON, o c.

NITED Fro.

SPRING-FRAIVIEFOR AUTOMOBILES;

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 663,703, dated December 1 1, 1900.

Application filed March 28, 1900. Serial No. 10,485. (No model.)

To all whom it'rntty concern):

Be it known that I, FRANK R. PARKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Penacook, in the county of Merrimac and State of New Hampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Construction of Spring-Frames for Automobiles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of this invention is to produce a yielding frame for automobiles-2'. 6., one that will automatically return to its normal shape after having been strained and twisted from passing over some obstruction and without the liability of becoming broken. This can best be accomplished by and consists in using some tough wood for the longitudinal connections of the axles or their supports, said axles or supports being provided each with a spring or springs upon which the body of the vehicle may-rest and be secured.

The invention will be fully set forth and described in the following specification and claims and clearly illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming a part of the same, of which-'- Figure 1 is a broken side elevation of my improved yielding frame for automobiles, Fig. 2 being a broken plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a cross-section taken on line at x of Fig. 2 looking to the left. Fig. 4 is a crosssection taken on line as w of Fig. 2 looking to the right. Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional elevation showing detail of construction.

Similar reference-letters denote corresponding parts in all the views. In Fig. l the wheels are indicated by dotted lines.

The forward transverse trussed axle-sup port is composed of a straight tube A and an arched tube B, the ends of which are securely brazed within sockets formed in the union 0, upon which is provided a yoke c, in which yoke the axles for the forward wheels may be mounted. The arched tube B is provided upon one side with horizontally-projecting tubular reaches or sockets D, which are preferably bifurcated or slotted at their open ends, as at d. The said reaches or sockets D are each braced by a rod E, having one end brazed to either socket and the opposite end passed through a perforation in either uniori G and fitted with a threaded nut e, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2.

The arched tube Bis provided midway from its ends with asleeve F, securely brazed thereto and having at its top a perforated projectionf. The spring-block G, to which is bolted the half-elliptic spring I, is provided with perforated ears g, adapted to fit over the pro jectionfof the sleeveF and to be pivotally connected by a horizontally-disposed bolt H, passing through said perforated ears g and projection f, thus permitting the carriagebody, which is to be secured to the spring I, to remain more steady during sudden vertical movements of the forward trussed a'xlesupport.

The rear transverse trussed axle-support is composed of straight and arched members and comprisesa centrally-disposed verticallyelongated yoke J, in the centralopposite sides of which are formed sockets j, a pairof tubes K, adapted to inclose a driving-axle, one end of each of said tubes K being securely brazed within either socketj of the yoke J and the opposite, end of each tube being securely brazed to a sleeve L, provided at its bottom with an ear Z and upon its top with an inclined projection Z, a pair of bars or tubes M, one end of each being securely brazed to the ears Z and their opposite ends to suitable sockets j, formed in the yoke J below its sockets j, a pair of arched bars or tubes N, secured centrally to and at opposite sides of the top of said yoke J by a grooved plate or brazed union 0 and at their ends to the inclined projection l of the sleeves L, within which projection said arched tubes N are brazed. The said arched tubes N are provided near their ends with a brazed connection 19, formed at one end of a tubular reach or socket P, which sockets are preferably bifurcated or slotted at their opposite ends, as at p, and to these tubular reaches or sockets 'D P are fitted the ends of suitable bars Q, formed of hickory or similar tough elastic wood and secured in their respective sockets D P by rivets 0019 as shown. It is very essential that these side bars, which in this improved automobile-frame form the only longitudinal connections between the forward and rear axlesupports, should be composed of wood, as

they will if formed of such material yield and twist sufficiently when the frame is subjected to a twistingstrain by reason of the unevenness of a road without serious damage, where if steel tubes were substituted said bars would become permanently bent or would break.

Blocks R, adapted to form supports for the elliptic springs S, may be brazed to the arched tubes N at the desired point and said springs secured thereto by bolts r, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, and the stay rods or braces T may have one end brazed to either of the tubular reaches or sockets P and their opposite end passed through either ear or socket Z at the top of either sleeve L and held therein by a threaded nut i, said braces thus being permitted when the improved automobile-frame is subjected to severe twisting strains to yield sufficiently to prevent the reaches or sockets T from breaking off, while at the same time said sockets are thereby prevented from beviz., at a right angle with the tubes Nand' the stay-rods E serve the same purpose for the sockets D of the forward axle-support as do the rods T for the socket P.

Having described my improvements, what I claim is 1. A yielding frame for automobiles comprising, a pair of transverse trussed frames adapted to carry the axles, and provided each with a pair of horizontally-disposed reaches or sockets, suitable springs for connecting said trussed frames with the vehicle-body, and a pair of wooden bars extending from one to the other and rigidly connected to the reaches or sockets of said trussed frames.

2. A yielding frame for automobiles comprising, a pair of transverse trussed frames adapted to carry the axles, suitable springs for connecting said trussed frames to the vehicle-body, a pair of wooden side bars extending from one to the other and rigidly connected to said trussed frames, and stay rods -in said horizontal sockets, and suitable springs connecting said trussed axle-supports and said axle-supports with the vehicle-body.

4. In atrussed axle-support for automobiles comprising straight and arched tubes, a centrally disposed vertically elongated yoke made in form of an oblong ring and to which all the tubes comprising the truss are securely brazed.

5. In a frame for automobiles, a pair of transverse trussed axle-supports composed wholly of metal and'provided each with a pair of reaches or sockets each pair projecting toward the other pair, and longitudinal connections for said axle supports composed wholly of some tough wood, and secured within said sockets, substantially for the purpose set forth.

6. In a frame for automobiles, a pair of transverse axle-supports com posed wholly of metal and provided each with a pair of horizontally-disposed reaches or sockets, a pair of longitudinally disposed bars composed wholly of wood and adapted to enter the reaches or sockets of either trussed axle-support, and suitable rivets for securing said bars to said sockets.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' FRANK R. PARKER. Witnesses:

J. B. THURSTON, W. H. DRURY. 

